TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The FBI said Monday it is unaware of any continued communication between Savannah Guthrie’s family and suspected kidnappers more than a week after the “Today” show host’s mom went missing.

The FBI has still not identified any suspects or persons of interest in the mysterious disappearance of 84-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>, said Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI.

Savannah Guthrie said the family was “at an hour of desperation” in a video released Monday, just hours before a purported ransom deadline apparently set by her mom's abductors.

She didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family in Arizona continues to believe her mother is out there and hearing everyone’s prayers.

“She was taken and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” Guthrie said in the video posted on Instagram, urging people nationwide to be on the lookout. “No matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything.”

The mysterious disappearance and search has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-famous-kidnappings-4c4ac60734ea43d6e4edb3261a0d1732">riveted the country</a>&nbsp;— from President Donald Trump, who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week, to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/search-nancy-guthrie-social-media-posts-e176abcc670af3844416946fb3bb5619">online sleuths</a>&nbsp;who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.

The FBI is now asking for the public’s help on digital billboards up in several major cities in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information.

Multiple news outlets received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second one was set for Monday evening.

Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Monday that law enforcement tip lines have received thousands of calls.

Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

Savannah Guthrie expressed hope on Monday that her mom was still alive.

“We believe that somehow, some way, she is feeling these prayers,” she said, “and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place.”

In a video Saturday, she said the family was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">prepared to pay</a>&nbsp;for her mother’s return. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>&nbsp;from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">doorbell camera was disconnected</a>&nbsp;in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.

Outside the home on Monday, neighbors strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff's deputy remained stationed out front.

Law enforcement's work at Guthrie residences will continue Tuesday “as part of the ongoing investigative process, including the expansion of the search and follow-up on new leads,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Monday.

Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work in the neighborhood and other locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday.

“Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.

Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Nancy Guthrie's house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770317606483.png" alt="<br>" />
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                    </figure><p>TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The FBI said Monday it is unaware of any continued communication between Savannah Guthrie’s family and suspected kidnappers more than a week after the “Today” show host’s mom went missing.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to Nancy Guthrie. Anyone who believes they have information that may assist investigators is asked to contact 1-800-CALL-FBI or the PCSD non-emergency line at 520-351-4900, or 88-CRIME.</p>&mdash; Pima County Sheriff&#39;s Department (@PimaSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/PimaSheriff/status/2021009531174891608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>The FBI has still not identified any suspects or persons of interest in the mysterious disappearance of 84-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>, said Connor Hagan, a spokesperson for the FBI.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; 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font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; 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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>Savannah Guthrie said the family was “at an hour of desperation” in a video released Monday, just hours before a purported ransom deadline apparently set by her mom's abductors.</p><p>She didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family in Arizona continues to believe her mother is out there and hearing everyone’s prayers.</p><p>“She was taken and we don’t know where, and we need your help,” Guthrie said in the video posted on Instagram, urging people nationwide to be on the lookout. “No matter where you are, even if you’re far from Tucson, if you see anything, if you hear anything.”</p><p>The mysterious disappearance and search has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-famous-kidnappings-4c4ac60734ea43d6e4edb3261a0d1732">riveted the country</a>&nbsp;— from President Donald Trump, who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week, to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/search-nancy-guthrie-social-media-posts-e176abcc670af3844416946fb3bb5619">online sleuths</a>&nbsp;who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.</p><p>The FBI is now asking for the public’s help on digital billboards up in several major cities in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico. The FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information.</p><p>Multiple news outlets received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second one was set for Monday evening.</p><p>Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Monday that law enforcement tip lines have received thousands of calls.</p><p>Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.</p><p>Savannah Guthrie expressed hope on Monday that her mom was still alive.</p><p>“We believe that somehow, some way, she is feeling these prayers,” she said, “and that God is lifting her even in this moment and in this darkest place.”</p><p>In a video Saturday, she said the family was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">prepared to pay</a>&nbsp;for her mother’s return. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”</p><p>Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>&nbsp;from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her, and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">doorbell camera was disconnected</a>&nbsp;in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.</p><p>Outside the home on Monday, neighbors strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff's deputy remained stationed out front.</p><p>Law enforcement's work at Guthrie residences will continue Tuesday “as part of the ongoing investigative process, including the expansion of the search and follow-up on new leads,” the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement Monday.</p><p>Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work in the neighborhood and other locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday.</p><p>“Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.</p><p>Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Nancy Guthrie's house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.</p>

FBI unaware of 'Today' show host talking with her mom's suspected kidnappers

<b>By TONY GUERRERO</b><br><i>Hays Post</i>

A 47-year-old man from Ellis County led law enforcement on a brief high-speed pursuit on Saturday.

Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod Hileman said David James Juenemann allegedly stole a 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup, triggering a pursuit at about 9 a.m. on Interstate 70 in Ellis County.

Hileman said the pursuit lasted about eight minutes and extended into Russell County, with units from Ellis and Russell counties involved.

During the pursuit, Juenemann reportedly stopped in the middle of I-70, exited the vehicle and began doing pushups before allegedly continuing to flee in the pickup.

Hileman said Juenemann allegedly exceeded 100 mph during the pursuit before being apprehended near the 187-mile marker after the vehicle ran over spike strips.

Juenemann was booked into the Ellis County Jail on charges of alleged theft of property and aggravated battery. KHP is pursuing charges for alleged fleeing and eluding, Hileman said.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1716320706146.jpeg" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
                        <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><b>By TONY GUERRERO</b><br><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>A 47-year-old man from Ellis County led law enforcement on a brief high-speed pursuit on Saturday.</p><p>Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Tod Hileman said David James Juenemann allegedly stole a 2007 Dodge 2500 pickup, triggering a pursuit at about 9 a.m. on Interstate 70 in Ellis County.</p><p>Hileman said the pursuit lasted about eight minutes and extended into Russell County, with units from Ellis and Russell counties involved.</p><p>During the pursuit, Juenemann reportedly stopped in the middle of I-70, exited the vehicle and began doing pushups before allegedly continuing to flee in the pickup.</p><p>Hileman said Juenemann allegedly exceeded 100 mph during the pursuit before being apprehended near the 187-mile marker after the vehicle ran over spike strips.</p><p>Juenemann was booked into the Ellis County Jail on charges of alleged theft of property and aggravated battery. KHP is pursuing charges for alleged fleeing and eluding, Hileman said.</p>

Ellis County man allegedly steals vehicle, leads KHP in pursuit

It's 5 p.m., and you can't decide where in Hays to eat. The family needs a fun activity for the weekend or you need a new stylist or someone to look at your brakes.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/24661b0e-92c8-4bce-828f-c3bf4353f7a6">Check out TACO SHOP on Hays Places CLICK HERE.</a>

The Hays Post is launching an exciting new product to help you find businesses in your community.

The Hays Place tab, which can be found as a dropdown menu on the Hays Post, is a new video directory of places to shop, play and find services in Hays and the surrounding area.

See videos on featured businesses, find links to websites and Facebook pages for your favorite Hays haunts, and find hours and other key information to connect with businesses.

Hays businesses that wish to purchase a listing on the directory can contact Jordan Schaeffer at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&amp;sca_esv=aebc663c531febdd&amp;rls=en&amp;sxsrf=AHTn8zrmZbrAzvKjxVChGRNtowTajxHLQA:1741210424019&amp;q=eagle+media+hays+phone+number&amp;spell=1&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj587Wm8vOLAxX6HDQIHU-zKIkQBSgAegQICxAB&amp;biw=1750&amp;bih=918&amp;dpr=1#">785-301-2211</a>&nbsp;or your local Eagle marketing representative.

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tbn8zIlypB0?si=2q85Xw-wBmGc4j-v" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div><p>It's 5 p.m., and you can't decide where in Hays to eat. The family needs a fun activity for the weekend or you need a new stylist or someone to look at your brakes.</p><p><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/24661b0e-92c8-4bce-828f-c3bf4353f7a6">Check out TACO SHOP on Hays Places CLICK HERE.</a></p><p>The Hays Post is launching an exciting new product to help you find businesses in your community.</p><p>The Hays Place tab, which can be found as a dropdown menu on the Hays Post, is a new video directory of places to shop, play and find services in Hays and the surrounding area.</p><p>See videos on featured businesses, find links to websites and Facebook pages for your favorite Hays haunts, and find hours and other key information to connect with businesses.</p><p>The directory is free for our readers.</p><p>Hays businesses that wish to purchase a listing on the directory can contact Jordan Schaeffer at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&amp;sca_esv=aebc663c531febdd&amp;rls=en&amp;sxsrf=AHTn8zrmZbrAzvKjxVChGRNtowTajxHLQA:1741210424019&amp;q=eagle+media+hays+phone+number&amp;spell=1&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj587Wm8vOLAxX6HDQIHU-zKIkQBSgAegQICxAB&amp;biw=1750&amp;bih=918&amp;dpr=1#">785-301-2211</a>&nbsp;or your local Eagle marketing representative.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1750969965165.png" alt="Hays Places menu on Hays Post" />
                        <figcaption>Hays Places menu on Hays Post</figcaption>
                    </figure>

🏀 Monarchs sweep Colby as they renew an old rivalry

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The world's biggest social media companies face several landmark trials this year that seek to hold them responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Opening statements for the first, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, began on Monday.

Instagram's parent company Meta and Google's YouTube face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. TikTok and Snap, which were originally named in the lawsuit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-trial-kids-addiction-meta-tiktok-youtube-d3a6bf617f2d11521675412ffb275031">settled for undisclosed sums</a>.

Jurors got their first glimpse into what will be a lengthy trial characterized by dueling narratives from the plaintiffs and the two remaining social media companies named as defendants. Opening arguments in the landmark case began Monday at the Spring Street Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

Mark Lanier delivered the opening statement for the plaintiffs first, in a lively display where he said the case is as “easy as ABC,” which he said stands for “addicting the brains of children.” He called Meta and Google “two of the richest corporations in history” who have “engineered addiction in children’s brains.”

At the core of the Los Angeles case is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials “KGM,” whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury and what damages, if any, may be awarded, said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow of technology policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

It’s the first time the companies are arguing their case before a jury, and the outcome could have profound effects on their businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms.

Lanier said the companies’ lawyers will “try to blame the little girl and her parents for the trap they built,” referencing the plaintiff. She was a minor when she said she became addicted to social media platforms, which she claims had a detrimental impact on her mental health.

Lanier said that despite the public position of Meta and YouTube being that they work to protect children and implement safeguards for their use of the platforms, their internal documents show an entirely different position, with explicit references to young children being listed as their target audiences.

Lanier also drew comparisons between the social media companies and tobacco firms, citing internal communication between Meta employees who were concerned about the company’s lack of proactive action about the potential harm their platforms can have on children and teens.

“For a teenager, social validation is survival,” Lanier said. The defendants “engineered a feature that caters to a minor’s craving for social validation,” he added, speaking about “like” buttons and similar features.

The court broke for lunch before Lanier concluded his opening statement and before attorneys for Meta and Google delivered their opening statements.

“This was only the first case — there are hundreds of parents and school districts in the social media addiction trials that start today, and sadly, new families every day who are speaking out and bringing Big Tech to court for its deliberately harmful products,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the nonprofit Tech Oversight Project.

Jurors are not being asked to stop using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or any other forms of social media throughout the course of the trial — which is expected to last about eight weeks — but Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl emphasized that they should not make any changes to the way they interact with the platforms, including changing their settings or creating new accounts.

Kuhl said that jurors should decide the liability of Meta and YouTube independently when they deliberate.

A separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-child-exploitation-trial-19195fc680dba782fb971d68082e11a4">trial in New Mexico</a>, meanwhile, was also set to kick off with opening arguments on Monday.

KGM claims that her use of social media from an early age addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. Importantly, the lawsuit claims that this was done through deliberate design choices made by companies that sought to make their platforms more addictive to children to boost profits. This argument, if successful, could sidestep the companies' First Amendment shield and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-technology-social-media-business-internet-eb89baf1fa30e245c030992b48a8a0ff">Section 230</a>, which protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms.

“Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, Defendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the lawsuit says.

Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify at the trial, which will last six to eight weeks. Experts have drawn similarities to the Big Tobacco trials that led to a 1998 settlement requiring cigarette companies to pay billions in health care costs and restrict marketing targeting minors.

The tech companies dispute the claims that their products deliberately harm children, citing a bevy of safeguards they have added over the years and arguing that they are not liable for content posted on their sites by third parties.

A Meta spokesperson said in a recent statement that the company strongly disagrees with the allegations outlined in the lawsuit and that it's “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”

José Castañeda, a Google Spokesperson, said that the allegations against YouTube are “simply not true.” In a statement, he said, “Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.”

The case will be the first in a slew of cases beginning this year that seek to hold social media companies responsible for harming children's mental well-being.

In New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-child-exploitation-trial-19195fc680dba782fb971d68082e11a4">opening statements begin Monday</a>&nbsp;for trial on allegations that Meta and its social media platforms have failed to protect young users from sexual exploitation, following an undercover online investigation. Attorney General Raúl Torrez in late 2023 sued Meta and Zuckerberg, who was later dropped from the suit.

A federal bellwether trial beginning in June in Oakland, California, will be the first to represent school districts that have sued social media platforms over harms to children.

In addition, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/instagram-facebook-children-teens-harms-lawsuit-attorney-general-1805492a38f7cee111cbb865cc786c28">40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against Meta, claiming it is harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. The majority of cases filed their lawsuits in federal court, but some sued in their respective states.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-lawsuit-youth-mental-health-2993f8e70d2e3d4eab9988df168fb948">TikTok</a>&nbsp;also faces similar lawsuits in more than a dozen states.

Other countries, meanwhile, are enacting new laws to limit social media for children. In January,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-social-media-ban-children-d3c4010741dd1a39f61c1f6d5bb3c85b">French lawmakers approved a bill</a>&nbsp;banning social media for children under 15, paving the way for the measure to enter into force at the start of the next school year in September, as the idea of setting a minimum age for use of the platforms&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">gains momentum across Europe.</a>

In Australia, social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-under-16-children-8b992efa5138704bc02ee9fc974f6987">the country banned use of the platforms</a>&nbsp;by those under 16, officials said. The law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-1abadf5445418c8c14f5f68cf76b38d0">provoked fraught debates</a>&nbsp;in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">British government</a>&nbsp;also said last month it will consider&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-2ae8c00402098db69797eb64c52e3d56">banning young teenagers from social media</a>&nbsp;as it tightens laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.

Ortutay reported from Oakland, California. Associated Press Writer Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this story.

<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — The world's biggest social media companies face several landmark trials this year that seek to hold them responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Opening statements for the first, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, began on Monday.</p><p>Instagram's parent company Meta and Google's YouTube face claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. TikTok and Snap, which were originally named in the lawsuit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/social-media-trial-kids-addiction-meta-tiktok-youtube-d3a6bf617f2d11521675412ffb275031">settled for undisclosed sums</a>.</p><p>Jurors got their first glimpse into what will be a lengthy trial characterized by dueling narratives from the plaintiffs and the two remaining social media companies named as defendants. Opening arguments in the landmark case began Monday at the Spring Street Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.</p><p>Mark Lanier delivered the opening statement for the plaintiffs first, in a lively display where he said the case is as “easy as ABC,” which he said stands for “addicting the brains of children.” He called Meta and Google “two of the richest corporations in history” who have “engineered addiction in children’s brains.”</p><p>At the core of the Los Angeles case is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials “KGM,” whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury and what damages, if any, may be awarded, said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow of technology policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.</p><p>It’s the first time the companies are arguing their case before a jury, and the outcome could have profound effects on their businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms.</p><p>Lanier said the companies’ lawyers will “try to blame the little girl and her parents for the trap they built,” referencing the plaintiff. She was a minor when she said she became addicted to social media platforms, which she claims had a detrimental impact on her mental health.</p><p>Lanier said that despite the public position of Meta and YouTube being that they work to protect children and implement safeguards for their use of the platforms, their internal documents show an entirely different position, with explicit references to young children being listed as their target audiences.</p><p>Lanier also drew comparisons between the social media companies and tobacco firms, citing internal communication between Meta employees who were concerned about the company’s lack of proactive action about the potential harm their platforms can have on children and teens.</p><p>“For a teenager, social validation is survival,” Lanier said. The defendants “engineered a feature that caters to a minor’s craving for social validation,” he added, speaking about “like” buttons and similar features.</p><p>The court broke for lunch before Lanier concluded his opening statement and before attorneys for Meta and Google delivered their opening statements.</p><p>“This was only the first case — there are hundreds of parents and school districts in the social media addiction trials that start today, and sadly, new families every day who are speaking out and bringing Big Tech to court for its deliberately harmful products,” said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the nonprofit Tech Oversight Project.</p><p>Jurors are not being asked to stop using Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or any other forms of social media throughout the course of the trial — which is expected to last about eight weeks — but Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl emphasized that they should not make any changes to the way they interact with the platforms, including changing their settings or creating new accounts.</p><p>Kuhl said that jurors should decide the liability of Meta and YouTube independently when they deliberate.</p><p>A separate&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-child-exploitation-trial-19195fc680dba782fb971d68082e11a4">trial in New Mexico</a>, meanwhile, was also set to kick off with opening arguments on Monday.</p><p>KGM claims that her use of social media from an early age addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. Importantly, the lawsuit claims that this was done through deliberate design choices made by companies that sought to make their platforms more addictive to children to boost profits. This argument, if successful, could sidestep the companies' First Amendment shield and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-technology-social-media-business-internet-eb89baf1fa30e245c030992b48a8a0ff">Section 230</a>, which protects tech companies from liability for material posted on their platforms.</p><p>“Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, Defendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the lawsuit says.</p><p>Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify at the trial, which will last six to eight weeks. Experts have drawn similarities to the Big Tobacco trials that led to a 1998 settlement requiring cigarette companies to pay billions in health care costs and restrict marketing targeting minors.</p><p>The tech companies dispute the claims that their products deliberately harm children, citing a bevy of safeguards they have added over the years and arguing that they are not liable for content posted on their sites by third parties.</p><p>A Meta spokesperson said in a recent statement that the company strongly disagrees with the allegations outlined in the lawsuit and that it's “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”</p><p>José Castañeda, a Google Spokesperson, said that the allegations against YouTube are “simply not true.” In a statement, he said, “Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work.”</p><p>The case will be the first in a slew of cases beginning this year that seek to hold social media companies responsible for harming children's mental well-being.</p><p>In New Mexico,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-new-mexico-child-exploitation-trial-19195fc680dba782fb971d68082e11a4">opening statements begin Monday</a>&nbsp;for trial on allegations that Meta and its social media platforms have failed to protect young users from sexual exploitation, following an undercover online investigation. Attorney General Raúl Torrez in late 2023 sued Meta and Zuckerberg, who was later dropped from the suit.</p><p>A federal bellwether trial beginning in June in Oakland, California, will be the first to represent school districts that have sued social media platforms over harms to children.</p><p>In addition, more than&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/instagram-facebook-children-teens-harms-lawsuit-attorney-general-1805492a38f7cee111cbb865cc786c28">40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against Meta, claiming it is harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. The majority of cases filed their lawsuits in federal court, but some sued in their respective states.</p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-lawsuit-youth-mental-health-2993f8e70d2e3d4eab9988df168fb948">TikTok</a>&nbsp;also faces similar lawsuits in more than a dozen states.</p><p>Other countries, meanwhile, are enacting new laws to limit social media for children. In January,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/france-social-media-ban-children-d3c4010741dd1a39f61c1f6d5bb3c85b">French lawmakers approved a bill</a>&nbsp;banning social media for children under 15, paving the way for the measure to enter into force at the start of the next school year in September, as the idea of setting a minimum age for use of the platforms&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">gains momentum across Europe.</a></p><p>In Australia, social media companies have revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-under-16-children-8b992efa5138704bc02ee9fc974f6987">the country banned use of the platforms</a>&nbsp;by those under 16, officials said. The law&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-1abadf5445418c8c14f5f68cf76b38d0">provoked fraught debates</a>&nbsp;in Australia about technology use, privacy, child safety and mental health and has prompted other countries to consider similar measures.</p><p>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/britain-social-media-ban-australia-teen-harm-c59c76db73a8c1cfac28c8264738e395">British government</a>&nbsp;also said last month it will consider&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-ban-children-2ae8c00402098db69797eb64c52e3d56">banning young teenagers from social media</a>&nbsp;as it tightens laws designed to protect children from harmful content and excessive screen time.</p><p>—</p><p>Ortutay reported from Oakland, California. Associated Press Writer Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico, contributed to this story.</p><p>—</p>

Landmark trial on social media addicting children to their platforms begins

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;said in a video released Monday that her family is “at an hour of desperation” is the search for the “Today” show host's missing mother, ahead of Monday evening's looming ransom deadline set by the purported abductors.

She didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family still believes 84-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;is out there as the search is now in its second week. There's still no word on whether the 84-year-old is still alive, authorities have said.

The mysterious disappearance and search has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-famous-kidnappings-4c4ac60734ea43d6e4edb3261a0d1732">riveted the U.S.</a>&nbsp;— from President Donald Trump who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/search-nancy-guthrie-social-media-posts-e176abcc670af3844416946fb3bb5619">online sleuths</a>&nbsp;who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.

Multiple press outlets have received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second one was set for Monday.

Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously.

Investigators returned to Nancy Guthrie's Arizona neighborhood several times over the weekend, ahead of a Monday evening deadline set by her purported abductors who sent ransom notes demanding money for her return.

Savannah Guthrie said over the weekend that the family was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">prepared to pay</a>&nbsp;for her mother’s return.

“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said in a video posted Saturday. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>&nbsp;from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there on Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church services. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">doorbell camera was disconnected</a>&nbsp;in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.

Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work at multiple locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday. “Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.

<p>TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/savannah-guthrie">Savannah Guthrie</a>&nbsp;said in a video released Monday that her family is “at an hour of desperation” is the search for the “Today” show host's missing mother, ahead of Monday evening's looming ransom deadline set by the purported abductors.</p><div><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; 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transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUjPVoYEpci/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Savannah Guthrie (@savannahguthrie)</a></p></div></blockquote>
<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div><p>She didn’t mention the deadline in the video, saying her family still believes 84-year-old&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-nancy-042abd04a6d87e14eecb22f0bc2893d1">Nancy Guthrie</a>&nbsp;is out there as the search is now in its second week. There's still no word on whether the 84-year-old is still alive, authorities have said.</p><p>The mysterious disappearance and search has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nancy-guthrie-famous-kidnappings-4c4ac60734ea43d6e4edb3261a0d1732">riveted the U.S.</a>&nbsp;— from President Donald Trump who spoke with Savannah Guthrie last week to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/search-nancy-guthrie-social-media-posts-e176abcc670af3844416946fb3bb5619">online sleuths</a>&nbsp;who’ve flooded social media with tips, theories and rumors.</p><p>Multiple press outlets have received alleged ransom letters during the past week. At least one letter made monetary demands and set deadlines for receiving the money. The first deadline passed last Thursday but a second one was set for Monday.</p><p>Law enforcement officials declined to affirm that the letters were credible but said all tips were being investigated seriously.</p><p>Investigators returned to Nancy Guthrie's Arizona neighborhood several times over the weekend, ahead of a Monday evening deadline set by her purported abductors who sent ransom notes demanding money for her return.</p><p>Savannah Guthrie said over the weekend that the family was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-92dff046a91f2c5c0093f17cd3b7ad42">prepared to pay</a>&nbsp;for her mother’s return.</p><p>“We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said in a video posted Saturday. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”</p><p>Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mother-missing-arizona-tucson-6c7b78d17d7b647c64f71f64ecaecf8b">taken against her will</a>&nbsp;from her home just outside Tucson. She was last seen there on Jan. 31 and reported missing the next day after not attending church services. DNA tests showed blood on Guthrie’s front porch was a match to her and her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/savannah-guthrie-mom-missing-nancy-adaa8af43efe04c252a52616d9037a05">doorbell camera was disconnected</a>&nbsp;in the early hours of Sunday morning, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos has said.</p><p>Outside the home on Monday, neighbors strolled by on their morning jogs and walks, while a county sheriff's deputy remained stationed out front.</p><p>Detectives and agents carried out follow-up work at multiple locations over the weekend as part of the investigation, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said Sunday. “Investigators have not identified any suspects, persons of interest, or vehicles connected to this case,” the department said.</p><p>Investigators on Saturday were inside daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, about 4 miles (6 kilometers) from Nancy Guthrie's house. On Sunday, an investigator was seen using a pole to search an underground tank behind Nancy Guthrie’s home.</p><p>Authorities say they have growing concerns about Nancy Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.</p>

🎥'Today' show host's new video plea: Hour of desperation

The Ellis County Commission will consider approving the preliminary plat for the Big Creek Estates Third Addition during its 8:30 a.m. meeting on Tuesday.

The item returns to the commission after additional review by the county planning and zoning board. The proposed project would be north of Reservation Road and include 14 residential lots and one stormwater retention lot.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ee851b27-fd93-4943-b1ba-e924696a0982">SEE RELATED STORY: Ellis County Commission sends housing development plat back to planning commission</a>

<b>Community improves district parameters</b>

Commissioners will discuss and finalize standards for future community improvement districts, including the minimum number of petition signatures required, when road-related districts can be formed during development and the level of road improvements required.

The commission will consider approving the 2026 services agreement with DSNWK. This would formalize previously approved funding levels.

In September 2025, the commission approved a $250,000 subsidy request for DSNWK, with additional funding of $120,000 for the child care program and $50,000 for ACCESS Transportation. 

<b>Other business<br></b><b></b>• Discussion on the Ellis County scholarship program<br>• Employee service awards<br>• Joint planning commission vacancy reminder<br>• 2026 public works summer hours of operation

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684183971486.png" alt="Ellis County" />
                        <figcaption>Ellis County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><b>By TONY GUERRERO</b><br><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>The Ellis County Commission will consider approving the preliminary plat for the Big Creek Estates Third Addition during its 8:30 a.m. meeting on Tuesday.</p><p>The item returns to the commission after additional review by the county planning and zoning board. The proposed project would be north of Reservation Road and include 14 residential lots and one stormwater retention lot.</p><p><a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/ee851b27-fd93-4943-b1ba-e924696a0982">SEE RELATED STORY: Ellis County Commission sends housing development plat back to planning commission</a></p><p><b>Community improves district parameters</b></p><p>Commissioners will discuss and finalize standards for future community improvement districts, including the minimum number of petition signatures required, when road-related districts can be formed during development and the level of road improvements required.</p><p><b>DNSWK agreement for services</b></p><p>The commission will consider approving the 2026 services agreement with DSNWK. This would formalize previously approved funding levels.</p><p>In September 2025, the commission approved a $250,000 subsidy request for DSNWK, with additional funding of $120,000 for the child care program and $50,000 for ACCESS Transportation. </p><p><b>Other business<br></b><b></b>• Discussion on the Ellis County scholarship program<br>• Employee service awards<br>• Joint planning commission vacancy reminder<br>• 2026 public works summer hours of operation</p>

Ellis County Commission to decide on Big Creek housing development plat

<b>By CRISTINA JANNEY<br></b><i>Hays Post</i>

The Hays USD 489 school board will consider several capital purchases at its meeting at 6:30 tonight at the Rockwell Administration Building.

The board will consider purchasing a school bus for&nbsp;$234,604&nbsp;from Kansas Truck.

It will consider a bid from Sunflower Restaurant Supply for steamers at Hays Middle School in the amount of $20,700.

A change order for&nbsp;$26,199 from ISI Industrial Services for asbestos removal at Felten Elementary School is being requested.

The board will reconsider a HVAC preventive maintenance service agreement with Glassman Corp to add equipment at O'Loughlin, Roosevelt and Hays Middle School for $66,520 annually. The equipment at the schools was previously under warranty.

The board will also consider contract extension for district administrators, hear a report on the district crisis plan, hear a construction update on O'Loughlin Elementary School and hear a presentation on Hays 2025 economic activity from Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays.

You can see the full agenda <a href="https://usd489.community.highbond.com/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=358">here</a>.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/12/1608234493687.jpeg" alt="" />
                        <figcaption></figcaption>
                    </figure><p><b>By CRISTINA JANNEY<br></b><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>The Hays USD 489 school board will consider several capital purchases at its meeting at 6:30 tonight at the Rockwell Administration Building.</p><p>The board will consider purchasing a school bus for&nbsp;$234,604&nbsp;from Kansas Truck.</p><p>It will consider a bid from Sunflower Restaurant Supply for steamers at Hays Middle School in the amount of $20,700.</p><p>A change order for&nbsp;$26,199 from ISI Industrial Services for asbestos removal at Felten Elementary School is being requested.</p><p>The board will reconsider a HVAC preventive maintenance service agreement with Glassman Corp to add equipment at O'Loughlin, Roosevelt and Hays Middle School for $66,520 annually. The equipment at the schools was previously under warranty.</p><p>The board will also consider contract extension for district administrators, hear a report on the district crisis plan, hear a construction update on O'Loughlin Elementary School and hear a presentation on Hays 2025 economic activity from Doug Williams, executive director of Grow Hays.</p><p>You can see the full agenda <a href="https://usd489.community.highbond.com/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=358">here</a>.</p>

Hays USD 489 school board to consider capital purchases

<b>By JOHN P. TRETBAR<br></b><i>Eagle Media</i>

Domestic crude-oil production dropped to a 15-month low last week, down from the record setting heights achieved in the last couple of months. Last week, the US Energy Information Administration published its lowest weekly production average since November of 2024. At just over 13.2 million barrels a day, output is down nearly half a million barrels a day from last week and a quarter-million barrels a day from the same week last year. Weekly production reports from EIA have held consistently over 13.5 million barrels a day since last September. By November, average output surpassed 13.8 million in each of nine consecutive weekly reports, a streak that ended three weeks ago.

Commercial crude inventories dipped 3.5 million barrels to just over 420 million as of January 30. The Energy Information Administration reports stockpiles are four percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

The government reports another 200-thousand barrels added the strategic stockpiles stored on our behalf in some caverns in Louisiana. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve tops out slightly over 415 million barrels, up 20 million barrels or five percent from a year ago.

At 6.2 million barrels a day, crude imports are up half a million daily barrels from a week ago but down 700-thousand barrels from the same week a year ago. The four week average is down 3.2%. The government says crude exports are down more than half a million barrels, but remain above four million barrels per day.

The Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes is up five gas rigs and up one oil rig for a total of 551 rigs. The breakout for horizontal rigs is up five. Texas is up six rigs.

The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil and Gas Service is unchanged in Western Kansas at six active rigs. The tally east of Wichita is down two at five rigs. The totals are down 21 percent from a month ago and 26% lower than a year ago. On Friday, operators were drilling or about to start on a lease in Gove County and two in Rooks County.

As of this week, operators in Kansas have drilled 39 wells from spud to completion in 2026, down from 86 during the same period last year. So far this year, 15 active operators have drilled nearly 50-thousand total feet of well bore in Kansas. Last year at this time, 40 operators were listed, drilling nearly double that total footage. Independent Oil and Gas Service reports 13 new well-completions this week, 78 so far this year, compared to 143 by this time last year. There are four new completions west of Wichita including one in Ellis County and one in Gove County.

Kansas regulators approved five new drilling locations this week, all of them in Western Kansas, including one new permit in Stafford County and one in Rooks County. That's 45 new permits this year compared to 66 last year at this time.

State geologists recently upgraded online reporting on oil and gas in Kansas, and the newest numbers reflect a continuing decline in production. Only one of the top ten counties posted an increase. Statewide output through the first three quarters of last year drops to just over 70,000 barrels a day, from just over 73,000 daily barrels for all of 2024. Ellis County production drops to just over 5,400 barrels a day, down 210 barrels from the year before. Ranked second among counties, Haskell County averaged just a few barrels shy of five thousand barrels a day, up 599 barrels for the only countywide increase. Finney County drops to 4,100 barrels a day. Barton County checks in with 3,736 barrels per day, down by 110 barrels.&nbsp; Russell County drops to just over 3,300 barrels, and Stafford County dips to just over 2,300 barrels a day. 

Cleanup continued after a massive drilling rig tipped over and crashed to the tundra in Alaska's North Slope. The huge ConocoPhillips rig is known as "the Beast." &nbsp;It toppled along a frozen gravel road within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. According to the Anchorage Daily News, a third-party firm is investigating the cause of the accident and subsequent fuel spill, but only when the weather makes it safe. Temperatures rose into the 30s the day of the incident but returned to subzero conditions afterward.

The recent nationwide cold snap dubbed "Winter Storm Fern" forced a huge draw on energy in the US.&nbsp; Fern spurred the largest weekly net natural gas withdrawal in Energy Department records. The numbers reflect increased demand for both space heating and electricity generation, as well as reduced supplies due to equipment freeze-offs and shut-ins. Natural gas spot prices for the week nearly doubled in some locations. In the week ending January 25, 2026, natural gas generation in the Lower 48 states increased 14% from the previous week while generation from solar, wind, and hydropower declined. Coal-fired electricity generation increased 31% from the previous week. EIA says during the week of Winter Storm Fern, Nuclear generation was nearly unchanged.

Independent Oil and Gas Service notes some familiar names in its list of the top Kansas drillers last year. East of Wichita that's RJ Energy, Colt Energy, C&amp;G Drilling, McGown Drilling and TDR Construction. In Western Kansas, Duke Drilling leads the list with 73 wells drilled to total depth, followed by Murfin Drilling with 52 wells. Rounding out the top five were Discovery Drilling, Pickrell Drilling, and Sterling Drilling.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685114004842.jpg" alt="Courtesy of Pixabay" />
                        <figcaption>Courtesy of Pixabay</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><b>By JOHN P. TRETBAR<br></b><i>Eagle Media</i></p><p>Domestic crude-oil production dropped to a 15-month low last week, down from the record setting heights achieved in the last couple of months. Last week, the US Energy Information Administration published its lowest weekly production average since November of 2024. At just over 13.2 million barrels a day, output is down nearly half a million barrels a day from last week and a quarter-million barrels a day from the same week last year. Weekly production reports from EIA have held consistently over 13.5 million barrels a day since last September. By November, average output surpassed 13.8 million in each of nine consecutive weekly reports, a streak that ended three weeks ago.</p><p>Commercial crude inventories dipped 3.5 million barrels to just over 420 million as of January 30. The Energy Information Administration reports stockpiles are four percent below the five-year average for this time of year.</p><p>The government reports another 200-thousand barrels added the strategic stockpiles stored on our behalf in some caverns in Louisiana. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve tops out slightly over 415 million barrels, up 20 million barrels or five percent from a year ago.</p><p>At 6.2 million barrels a day, crude imports are up half a million daily barrels from a week ago but down 700-thousand barrels from the same week a year ago. The four week average is down 3.2%. The government says crude exports are down more than half a million barrels, but remain above four million barrels per day.</p><p>The Rotary Rig Count from Baker Hughes is up five gas rigs and up one oil rig for a total of 551 rigs. The breakout for horizontal rigs is up five. Texas is up six rigs.</p><p>The Kansas Rig Count from Independent Oil and Gas Service is unchanged in Western Kansas at six active rigs. The tally east of Wichita is down two at five rigs. The totals are down 21 percent from a month ago and 26% lower than a year ago. On Friday, operators were drilling or about to start on a lease in Gove County and two in Rooks County.</p><p>As of this week, operators in Kansas have drilled 39 wells from spud to completion in 2026, down from 86 during the same period last year. So far this year, 15 active operators have drilled nearly 50-thousand total feet of well bore in Kansas. Last year at this time, 40 operators were listed, drilling nearly double that total footage. Independent Oil and Gas Service reports 13 new well-completions this week, 78 so far this year, compared to 143 by this time last year. There are four new completions west of Wichita including one in Ellis County and one in Gove County.</p><p>Kansas regulators approved five new drilling locations this week, all of them in Western Kansas, including one new permit in Stafford County and one in Rooks County. That's 45 new permits this year compared to 66 last year at this time.</p><p>State geologists recently upgraded online reporting on oil and gas in Kansas, and the newest numbers reflect a continuing decline in production. Only one of the top ten counties posted an increase. Statewide output through the first three quarters of last year drops to just over 70,000 barrels a day, from just over 73,000 daily barrels for all of 2024. Ellis County production drops to just over 5,400 barrels a day, down 210 barrels from the year before. Ranked second among counties, Haskell County averaged just a few barrels shy of five thousand barrels a day, up 599 barrels for the only countywide increase. Finney County drops to 4,100 barrels a day. Barton County checks in with 3,736 barrels per day, down by 110 barrels.&nbsp; Russell County drops to just over 3,300 barrels, and Stafford County dips to just over 2,300 barrels a day. </p><p>Cleanup continued after a massive drilling rig tipped over and crashed to the tundra in Alaska's North Slope. The huge ConocoPhillips rig is known as "the Beast." &nbsp;It toppled along a frozen gravel road within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. According to the Anchorage Daily News, a third-party firm is investigating the cause of the accident and subsequent fuel spill, but only when the weather makes it safe. Temperatures rose into the 30s the day of the incident but returned to subzero conditions afterward.</p><p>The recent nationwide cold snap dubbed "Winter Storm Fern" forced a huge draw on energy in the US.&nbsp; Fern spurred the largest weekly net natural gas withdrawal in Energy Department records. The numbers reflect increased demand for both space heating and electricity generation, as well as reduced supplies due to equipment freeze-offs and shut-ins. Natural gas spot prices for the week nearly doubled in some locations. In the week ending January 25, 2026, natural gas generation in the Lower 48 states increased 14% from the previous week while generation from solar, wind, and hydropower declined. Coal-fired electricity generation increased 31% from the previous week. EIA says during the week of Winter Storm Fern, Nuclear generation was nearly unchanged.</p><p>Independent Oil and Gas Service notes some familiar names in its list of the top Kansas drillers last year. East of Wichita that's RJ Energy, Colt Energy, C&amp;G Drilling, McGown Drilling and TDR Construction. In Western Kansas, Duke Drilling leads the list with 73 wells drilled to total depth, followed by Murfin Drilling with 52 wells. Rounding out the top five were Discovery Drilling, Pickrell Drilling, and Sterling Drilling.</p>

News from the Oil Patch:'Fern' freezes, 'the beast' topples, output hard put

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/dee-ann-durbin">DEE-ANN DURBIN</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mae-anderson">MAE ANDERSON</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/wyatte-grantham-philips">WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS</a><br>Associated Press

At a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-trump-affordability-costs-ice-44196e8814c5a8e47df26fa1d21f44fd">difficult time</a>&nbsp;for America, Super Bowl advertisers asked viewers to take care of themselves and others — and maybe even crack a smile.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OheUzrXsKrY&amp;t=30s" target="_blank">Ring</a>&nbsp;showed how neighbors can use their doorbell cameras to find lost pets. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_mh-v02-Tw" target="_blank">Budweiser</a>&nbsp;Clydesdale protected a bald eagle chick from the rain.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMTcZb48aVU" target="_blank">Novartis</a>&nbsp;touted a blood test that can detect prostate cancer.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5bJ612mUt8" target="_blank">Toyota</a>&nbsp;reminded viewers to wear their seatbelts.

Mister Rogers was invoked twice: Lady Gaga sang his classic “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” in a tearjerker for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEFiLqsCDw" target="_blank">Rocket Companies</a>&nbsp;while the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLc8f2KbHnU" target="_blank">National Football League</a>&nbsp;used “You Are Special” to promote its work with youth sports organizations.

“A key thread running through this year’s Super Bowl ads was a desire for peace, harmony, community, and neighborliness,” said Kimberly Whitler, a marketing professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. “There is a general theme centered on people coming together to support one another.”

America is uneasy. U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-economy-spending-inflation-conference-board-f36b997dc46ac9c3577d05db52166846">consumer confidence</a>&nbsp;fell to its lowest level since 2014 in January. The killings of two protesters by federal officers in Minneapolis last month led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-protests-64fd52ba5283e8f56c57dddb1c3a3852">widespread outrage</a>. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/next-winter-storm-blizzard-cold-bomb-cyclone-d16eaaf409277258d7748674f4b94b0c">winter weather</a>&nbsp;has been brutal across much of the country.

“There is a collective trauma. Everybody is stressed out. It doesn’t matter who you are, it’s something that’s impacting everyone,” said Vann Graves, the executive director of the Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Super Bowl ads, he said, give people a much-needed respite and a rare shared moment.

“It’s been a bit of time that we can just be human and be silly and enjoy ourselves,” Graves said.

There is plenty of silliness in this year’s commercials. Sabrina Carpenter tried to build the perfect man out of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CdX8W8U7jA" target="_blank">Pringles</a>. Benson Boone and Ben Stiller played a disco duo doing flips over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instacart.com/company/pressreleases/instacart-goes-bananas-in-super-bowl-lx-ad" target="_blank">Instacart</a>. Andy Samberg, as “Meal Diamond,” squirted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TpdUBwyL4c" target="_blank">Hellmann’s</a>&nbsp;mayonnaise on the sandwiches of Elle Fanning and other deli customers. And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjDfVdrtl48&amp;t=27s" target="_blank">Liquid I.V.</a>, with a chorus of singing toilets, told viewers to “take a look at your pee” to check for dehydration.

Polar bears — Coca-Cola’s traditional mascots — shared a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPHI2zNf_ww" target="_blank">Pepsi</a>&nbsp;in an ad that spoofs last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coldplay-kiss-cam-viral-public-event-privacy-e768214f389bc788dcc539a00bf066da">viral kiss cam</a>. Adrien Brody couldn’t stop overacting in a commercial for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp5LJNm3Jkc" target="_blank">TurboTax</a>.

Delivery services tried to outdo each other. George Clooney appeared in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUhomG3Fm5A" target="_blank">Grubhub</a>&nbsp;ad to promote free delivery on orders of $50 or more.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEQ-jR1sMYY" target="_blank">Uber Eats</a>&nbsp;enlisted Matthew McConaughey to convince Bradley Cooper and Parker Posey that football is a conspiracy to make people hungry. And Rapper 50 Cent trolled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-diddy-combs-appeal-6dd10d2a86243e3402d1fdbbb5fabf37">Sean “Diddy” Combs</a>&nbsp;in an ad for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEjd6uFrN90&amp;t=2s" target="_blank">DoorDash</a>.

Artificial intelligence was all over the Super Bowl airwaves.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NerlyGrv7WM" target="_blank">Oakley Meta</a>&nbsp;touted its AI-enabled glasses in two action-packed spots showing Spike Lee, Marshawn Lynch and others using the glasses to film video and answer questions.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRo5spaBfbo" target="_blank">Wix</a>&nbsp;debuted an ad for Wix Harmony, which uses AI tools for website design.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkeWRI2yJGM" target="_blank">Svedka Vodka</a>&nbsp;enlisted Silverside AI, an AI studio, to help create its ad, which featured its robot mascot FemBot dancing alongside her male counterpart, BroBot.

Like AI itself, AI ads aren’t without&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grok-elon-musk-deepfake-x-social-media-2bfa06805b323b1d7e5ea7bb01c9da77">controversy</a>. AI developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmnjDLwZckA" target="_blank">Anthropic</a>&nbsp;aired a pair of commercials pointing out that Claude, its chatbot, doesn’t have ads. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took issue with that in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-anthropic-chatgpt-claude-rivalry-c19e0cca22c37190cc4e0dc08e889ef0">social media post</a>; OpenAI said last month it will start testing ads as a way to keep ChatGPT free.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha92_hfK9Po" target="_blank">Amazon</a>&nbsp;also struck a nerve with an ad starring Chris Hemsworth that pokes fun of people’s fears of AI. The ad is running just days after Amazon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-layoffs-job-cuts-tech-74387fae2313ff7b0b1e638c00863443">laid off 16,000 corporate workers</a>, some of whom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-jassy-ai-alexa-workforce-7eea6387e97b84f1f239af2538de5ee9">may be replaced</a>&nbsp;with AI.

“I suspect this is meant to be funny, but it might reinforce some people’s very real concerns about AI,” said Tim Calkins, a clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University.

Super Bowl ads still celebrated snacks. Bowen Yang, Scarlett Johansson and Jon Hamm teamed up to pitch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWDINj9-xX8" target="_blank">Ritz</a>&nbsp;crackers. A retiring potato farmer passed the farm along to his daughter in a heartfelt ad for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC2SPHF9ggo" target="_blank">Lay’s</a>.

But there was also a focus on health. Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara urged people to test for kidney disease in an ad for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO6Lq8lLlVU" target="_blank">Boehringer Ingelheim</a>.

Mike Tyson talked about his sister’s death from obesity in an ad urging people to eat real, unprocessed food. The ad was paid for by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICygZXJfMpQ" target="_blank">MAHA Center Inc</a>., a nonprofit led by Tony Lyons, a publisher and key ally of U.S. Health Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a>

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weightloss-drugs-nutrition-frozen-meals-glp1-5bb5dfaae3778b1968c1793326e8ba73">GLP-1 weight loss drugs</a>&nbsp;also crashed the party.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y6zH5bm2eY" target="_blank">Novo Nordisk</a>&nbsp;trumpeted its new Wegovy pills in an ad featuring Kenan Thompson, DJ Khaled, Danielle Brooks, Ana Gasteyer, John C. Reilly and Danny Trejo. Telehealth firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqXOcRtZoow" target="_blank">Ro</a>&nbsp;pitched its GLP-1s in an ad starring Serena Williams.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ7Z5LTJWHM" target="_blank">Hims &amp; Hers</a>, which recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wegovy-hims-fda-novo-nordisk-semaglutide-weight-74eb9395c44acd8bb1e12350cb32c146">scrapped plans</a>&nbsp;to offer its own GLP-1 pill, said it gives everyone access to the kind of personalized health care that the wealthy enjoy.

“There was a remarkable number of health ads on the Super Bowl this year,” Calkins said. Novartis’s ad about prostate cancer and Ro’s ad with Serena Williams were particularly effective, he said.

“Wegovy’s spot promoting its new pill form was clear, but the long list of side-effects limited its impact,” Calkins said.

One way to get Americans feeling better? Evoke warm memories of the past.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbu-hEYPyaA&amp;t=6s" target="_blank">State Farm</a>&nbsp;kicked off the game with an ad featuring the 1986 Bon Jovi hit “Livin’ on a Prayer.” At the end of the ad, Jon Bon Jovi pulled up in a red convertible to offer actress Hailee Steinfeld a ride.

But mostly, the night belonged to the 1990s.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr96AsZGFQc" target="_blank">Dunkin’</a>&nbsp;ran an ad spoofing 1997’s “Good Will Hunting” featuring Ben Affleck, Tom Brady and a host of ‘90s sitcom stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Jason Alexander and Alfonso Ribeiro.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3O4ymaZ41Q&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Pokemon</a>, which debuted in 1996, ran an ad celebrating its 30th anniversary.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_3eB7omJO4" target="_blank">T-Mobile</a>&nbsp;featured the Backstreet Boys singing a version of their 1999 hit “I Want It That Way.” The Backstreet Boys returned in a karaoke-style commercial for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox__f7ZdFyM" target="_blank">Coinbase</a>, which encouraged viewers to sing along to the 1997 hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyE4IZDPdBg&amp;t=7s" target="_blank">Volkswagen</a>&nbsp;went all the way back to 1992 with a commercial set to House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wpmz5X3yx0" target="_blank">Xfinity</a>&nbsp;reunited Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in a tongue-in-cheek reimagining of 1993’s “Jurassic Park” that shows Xfinity restoring power to the island so nothing goes awry.

Whitler said nostalgia — in the form of older celebrities, music, or imagery — like a black-and-white&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHuBiLk_A04" target="_blank">Squarespace</a>&nbsp;ad starring Emma Stone — has been getting more common in Super Bowl ads. Her research has shown that 28% of the ads in 2015 had an element of nostalgia; that increased to 54% in 2025, she said.

Advertisers flock to the Super Bowl each year because so many people watch the big game.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-ratings-fox-nielsen-eagles-chiefs-e0c22b0e956e16637870110140933cea">In 2025, a record 127.7 million U.S. viewers watched the game</a>&nbsp;across television and streaming platforms.

Jura Liaukonyte, a professor of marketing in Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, said companies that normally have to parse out ad dollars across broadcast and streaming platforms pay a premium for Super Bowl spots to reach a unified audience.

This year’s Super Bowl ads cost an average of $8 million per 30-second unit, but a handful of spots sold for $10 million-plus, a record, said Peter Lazarus, who leads advertising and partnerships for NBC Sports. He said he was calling February, with the Super Bowl,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics">Olympics</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-star-game-rosters-kawhi-leonard-55e9f15191216f1b65a8b4172a3f68ba">NBA All-Star Game</a>, “legendary February.”

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770650737816.png" alt="Image from Pepsi via Associated Press" />
                        <figcaption>Image from Pepsi via Associated Press</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/dee-ann-durbin">DEE-ANN DURBIN</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/mae-anderson">MAE ANDERSON</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/wyatte-grantham-philips">WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS</a><br>Associated Press</p><p>At a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/poll-trump-affordability-costs-ice-44196e8814c5a8e47df26fa1d21f44fd">difficult time</a>&nbsp;for America, Super Bowl advertisers asked viewers to take care of themselves and others — and maybe even crack a smile.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OheUzrXsKrY&amp;t=30s" target="_blank">Ring</a>&nbsp;showed how neighbors can use their doorbell cameras to find lost pets. A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_mh-v02-Tw" target="_blank">Budweiser</a>&nbsp;Clydesdale protected a bald eagle chick from the rain.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMTcZb48aVU" target="_blank">Novartis</a>&nbsp;touted a blood test that can detect prostate cancer.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5bJ612mUt8" target="_blank">Toyota</a>&nbsp;reminded viewers to wear their seatbelts.</p><p>Mister Rogers was invoked twice: Lady Gaga sang his classic “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” in a tearjerker for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvEFiLqsCDw" target="_blank">Rocket Companies</a>&nbsp;while the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLc8f2KbHnU" target="_blank">National Football League</a>&nbsp;used “You Are Special” to promote its work with youth sports organizations.</p><p>“A key thread running through this year’s Super Bowl ads was a desire for peace, harmony, community, and neighborliness,” said Kimberly Whitler, a marketing professor at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. “There is a general theme centered on people coming together to support one another.”</p><p>America is uneasy. U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/consumer-confidence-economy-spending-inflation-conference-board-f36b997dc46ac9c3577d05db52166846">consumer confidence</a>&nbsp;fell to its lowest level since 2014 in January. The killings of two protesters by federal officers in Minneapolis last month led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-protests-64fd52ba5283e8f56c57dddb1c3a3852">widespread outrage</a>. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/next-winter-storm-blizzard-cold-bomb-cyclone-d16eaaf409277258d7748674f4b94b0c">winter weather</a>&nbsp;has been brutal across much of the country.</p><p>“There is a collective trauma. Everybody is stressed out. It doesn’t matter who you are, it’s something that’s impacting everyone,” said Vann Graves, the executive director of the Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University.</p><p>Super Bowl ads, he said, give people a much-needed respite and a rare shared moment.</p><p>“It’s been a bit of time that we can just be human and be silly and enjoy ourselves,” Graves said.</p><h2>Playing for laughs</h2><p>There is plenty of silliness in this year’s commercials. Sabrina Carpenter tried to build the perfect man out of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CdX8W8U7jA" target="_blank">Pringles</a>. Benson Boone and Ben Stiller played a disco duo doing flips over&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instacart.com/company/pressreleases/instacart-goes-bananas-in-super-bowl-lx-ad" target="_blank">Instacart</a>. Andy Samberg, as “Meal Diamond,” squirted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TpdUBwyL4c" target="_blank">Hellmann’s</a>&nbsp;mayonnaise on the sandwiches of Elle Fanning and other deli customers. And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjDfVdrtl48&amp;t=27s" target="_blank">Liquid I.V.</a>, with a chorus of singing toilets, told viewers to “take a look at your pee” to check for dehydration.</p><p>Polar bears — Coca-Cola’s traditional mascots — shared a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPHI2zNf_ww" target="_blank">Pepsi</a>&nbsp;in an ad that spoofs last year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coldplay-kiss-cam-viral-public-event-privacy-e768214f389bc788dcc539a00bf066da">viral kiss cam</a>. Adrien Brody couldn’t stop overacting in a commercial for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp5LJNm3Jkc" target="_blank">TurboTax</a>.</p><p>Delivery services tried to outdo each other. George Clooney appeared in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUhomG3Fm5A" target="_blank">Grubhub</a>&nbsp;ad to promote free delivery on orders of $50 or more.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEQ-jR1sMYY" target="_blank">Uber Eats</a>&nbsp;enlisted Matthew McConaughey to convince Bradley Cooper and Parker Posey that football is a conspiracy to make people hungry. And Rapper 50 Cent trolled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sean-diddy-combs-appeal-6dd10d2a86243e3402d1fdbbb5fabf37">Sean “Diddy” Combs</a>&nbsp;in an ad for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEjd6uFrN90&amp;t=2s" target="_blank">DoorDash</a>.</p><h2>AI Bowl</h2><p>Artificial intelligence was all over the Super Bowl airwaves.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NerlyGrv7WM" target="_blank">Oakley Meta</a>&nbsp;touted its AI-enabled glasses in two action-packed spots showing Spike Lee, Marshawn Lynch and others using the glasses to film video and answer questions.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRo5spaBfbo" target="_blank">Wix</a>&nbsp;debuted an ad for Wix Harmony, which uses AI tools for website design.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkeWRI2yJGM" target="_blank">Svedka Vodka</a>&nbsp;enlisted Silverside AI, an AI studio, to help create its ad, which featured its robot mascot FemBot dancing alongside her male counterpart, BroBot.</p><p>Like AI itself, AI ads aren’t without&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grok-elon-musk-deepfake-x-social-media-2bfa06805b323b1d7e5ea7bb01c9da77">controversy</a>. AI developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmnjDLwZckA" target="_blank">Anthropic</a>&nbsp;aired a pair of commercials pointing out that Claude, its chatbot, doesn’t have ads. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took issue with that in a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/openai-anthropic-chatgpt-claude-rivalry-c19e0cca22c37190cc4e0dc08e889ef0">social media post</a>; OpenAI said last month it will start testing ads as a way to keep ChatGPT free.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha92_hfK9Po" target="_blank">Amazon</a>&nbsp;also struck a nerve with an ad starring Chris Hemsworth that pokes fun of people’s fears of AI. The ad is running just days after Amazon&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-layoffs-job-cuts-tech-74387fae2313ff7b0b1e638c00863443">laid off 16,000 corporate workers</a>, some of whom&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/amazon-jassy-ai-alexa-workforce-7eea6387e97b84f1f239af2538de5ee9">may be replaced</a>&nbsp;with AI.</p><p>“I suspect this is meant to be funny, but it might reinforce some people’s very real concerns about AI,” said Tim Calkins, a clinical professor of marketing at Northwestern University.</p><h2>Health Frenzy</h2><p>Super Bowl ads still celebrated snacks. Bowen Yang, Scarlett Johansson and Jon Hamm teamed up to pitch&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWDINj9-xX8" target="_blank">Ritz</a>&nbsp;crackers. A retiring potato farmer passed the farm along to his daughter in a heartfelt ad for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC2SPHF9ggo" target="_blank">Lay’s</a>.</p><p>But there was also a focus on health. Octavia Spencer and Sofia Vergara urged people to test for kidney disease in an ad for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO6Lq8lLlVU" target="_blank">Boehringer Ingelheim</a>.</p><p>Mike Tyson talked about his sister’s death from obesity in an ad urging people to eat real, unprocessed food. The ad was paid for by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICygZXJfMpQ" target="_blank">MAHA Center Inc</a>., a nonprofit led by Tony Lyons, a publisher and key ally of U.S. Health Secretary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/robert-f-kennedy-jr">Robert F. Kennedy Jr.</a></p><p><a href="https://apnews.com/article/weightloss-drugs-nutrition-frozen-meals-glp1-5bb5dfaae3778b1968c1793326e8ba73">GLP-1 weight loss drugs</a>&nbsp;also crashed the party.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y6zH5bm2eY" target="_blank">Novo Nordisk</a>&nbsp;trumpeted its new Wegovy pills in an ad featuring Kenan Thompson, DJ Khaled, Danielle Brooks, Ana Gasteyer, John C. Reilly and Danny Trejo. Telehealth firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqXOcRtZoow" target="_blank">Ro</a>&nbsp;pitched its GLP-1s in an ad starring Serena Williams.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ7Z5LTJWHM" target="_blank">Hims &amp; Hers</a>, which recently&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wegovy-hims-fda-novo-nordisk-semaglutide-weight-74eb9395c44acd8bb1e12350cb32c146">scrapped plans</a>&nbsp;to offer its own GLP-1 pill, said it gives everyone access to the kind of personalized health care that the wealthy enjoy.</p><p>“There was a remarkable number of health ads on the Super Bowl this year,” Calkins said. Novartis’s ad about prostate cancer and Ro’s ad with Serena Williams were particularly effective, he said.</p><p>“Wegovy’s spot promoting its new pill form was clear, but the long list of side-effects limited its impact,” Calkins said.</p><h2>Nostalgia</h2><p>One way to get Americans feeling better? Evoke warm memories of the past.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbu-hEYPyaA&amp;t=6s" target="_blank">State Farm</a>&nbsp;kicked off the game with an ad featuring the 1986 Bon Jovi hit “Livin’ on a Prayer.” At the end of the ad, Jon Bon Jovi pulled up in a red convertible to offer actress Hailee Steinfeld a ride.</p><p>But mostly, the night belonged to the 1990s.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gr96AsZGFQc" target="_blank">Dunkin’</a>&nbsp;ran an ad spoofing 1997’s “Good Will Hunting” featuring Ben Affleck, Tom Brady and a host of ‘90s sitcom stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Matt LeBlanc, Jason Alexander and Alfonso Ribeiro.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3O4ymaZ41Q&amp;feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Pokemon</a>, which debuted in 1996, ran an ad celebrating its 30th anniversary.</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_3eB7omJO4" target="_blank">T-Mobile</a>&nbsp;featured the Backstreet Boys singing a version of their 1999 hit “I Want It That Way.” The Backstreet Boys returned in a karaoke-style commercial for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox__f7ZdFyM" target="_blank">Coinbase</a>, which encouraged viewers to sing along to the 1997 hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyE4IZDPdBg&amp;t=7s" target="_blank">Volkswagen</a>&nbsp;went all the way back to 1992 with a commercial set to House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” And&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wpmz5X3yx0" target="_blank">Xfinity</a>&nbsp;reunited Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in a tongue-in-cheek reimagining of 1993’s “Jurassic Park” that shows Xfinity restoring power to the island so nothing goes awry.</p><p>Whitler said nostalgia — in the form of older celebrities, music, or imagery — like a black-and-white&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHuBiLk_A04" target="_blank">Squarespace</a>&nbsp;ad starring Emma Stone — has been getting more common in Super Bowl ads. Her research has shown that 28% of the ads in 2015 had an element of nostalgia; that increased to 54% in 2025, she said.</p><h2>Record-breaking prices</h2><p>Advertisers flock to the Super Bowl each year because so many people watch the big game.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-ratings-fox-nielsen-eagles-chiefs-e0c22b0e956e16637870110140933cea">In 2025, a record 127.7 million U.S. viewers watched the game</a>&nbsp;across television and streaming platforms.</p><p>Jura Liaukonyte, a professor of marketing in Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, said companies that normally have to parse out ad dollars across broadcast and streaming platforms pay a premium for Super Bowl spots to reach a unified audience.</p><p>This year’s Super Bowl ads cost an average of $8 million per 30-second unit, but a handful of spots sold for $10 million-plus, a record, said Peter Lazarus, who leads advertising and partnerships for NBC Sports. He said he was calling February, with the Super Bowl,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics">Olympics</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/all-star-game-rosters-kawhi-leonard-55e9f15191216f1b65a8b4172a3f68ba">NBA All-Star Game</a>, “legendary February.”</p>

Super Bowl ads try to overcome tough times with health, caring and laughs

Local Republican legislators discussed several rural issues, such as transportation and health, at Saturday's legislative coffee in Hays.

Kansas Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland; Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra; and Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, spoke to attendees at the Hays Public Library

Rebecca Swender, district director for U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, also attended and answered questions during the closing portion of the discussion.

The panel acknowledged that transportation for seniors in rural Kansas is a growing issue as the population ages.

"We've talked a lot about the Meals on Wheels program and a bigger package of assistance to give to our area agencies," Rahjes said. "It's a process. We're not there yet."

Wasinger said the issue is expected to come up in the Legislature next week and noted her support for ACCESS transportation, <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/dc146924-9a33-439f-bb6a-180129cff07a">which is facing a funding shortfall heading into 2026</a>.

<b>Rural Health Transformation Program</b>

The Rural Health Transformation Program is set to provide about $222 million in 2026 to help expand primary care, support the health care workforce and improve health data.

Wasinger said her concern is where the money ultimately goes.

"If it just goes to the governor to make decisions, we're afraid it'll go to KU Med Center and Via Christi," she said. "We've asked for transparency and accounting to make sure we get some of that money out in western Kansas, especially to HaysMed."

Rahjes said talks are ongoing with Blue Cross and Blue Shield over reimbursement practices for HaysMed. Swender said Marshall backs the program and wants guardrails in place to ensure the funding reaches rural hospitals.

A recently introduced House bill would require county commissions to approve conservation easements, increasing government involvement and limiting private property rights.

Rahjes said lawmakers, in broader terms, are "getting out of their lanes" with proposed bills. He emphasized that decisions are best left to local officials who are closest to the people.

"Me living in Agra should not tell Wichita County what they should do with their kids. Johnson County shouldn't tell Hays how much water they should use, and Hays shouldn't tell Johnson County how green their yard should be," he said.

Kansas is one of about 15 states without a dedicated conservation fund. The panel was asked whether they would support creating one to help producers, provided it did not involve new taxes.

"The biggest problem that I see as a rural legislator is trying to educate Johnson County and Wichita to understand that our lives are completely different," Wasinger said.

Rahjes said a $17 million conservation package was recently approved, and $1.7 million in funding for local conservation districts was restored.

"If we don't have good conservation, which goes into water, then we're just dust. We can argue about everything in the world, but without water, we don't survive," Rahjes said.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/2/1770480806901.jpeg" alt="Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, and Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays and Rebecca Swender, district director for U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, at the Legislative Coffee Saturday at the Hays Public Library. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
                        <figcaption>Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, and Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays and Rebecca Swender, district director for U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, at the Legislative Coffee Saturday at the Hays Public Library. Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
                    </figure><p><b>By TONY GUERRERO</b><br><i>Hays Post</i></p><p>Local Republican legislators discussed several rural issues, such as transportation and health, at Saturday's legislative coffee in Hays.</p><p>Kansas Sen. Rick Billinger, R-Goodland; Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra; and Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, spoke to attendees at the Hays Public Library</p><p>Rebecca Swender, district director for U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Great Bend, also attended and answered questions during the closing portion of the discussion.</p><p><b>Rural senior transportation</b></p><p>The panel acknowledged that transportation for seniors in rural Kansas is a growing issue as the population ages.</p><p>"We've talked a lot about the Meals on Wheels program and a bigger package of assistance to give to our area agencies," Rahjes said. "It's a process. We're not there yet."</p><p>Wasinger said the issue is expected to come up in the Legislature next week and noted her support for ACCESS transportation, <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/dc146924-9a33-439f-bb6a-180129cff07a">which is facing a funding shortfall heading into 2026</a>.</p><p><b>Rural Health Transformation Program</b></p><p>The Rural Health Transformation Program is set to provide about $222 million in 2026 to help expand primary care, support the health care workforce and improve health data.</p><p>Wasinger said her concern is where the money ultimately goes.</p><p>"If it just goes to the governor to make decisions, we're afraid it'll go to KU Med Center and Via Christi," she said. "We've asked for transparency and accounting to make sure we get some of that money out in western Kansas, especially to HaysMed."</p><p>Rahjes said talks are ongoing with Blue Cross and Blue Shield over reimbursement practices for HaysMed. Swender said Marshall backs the program and wants guardrails in place to ensure the funding reaches rural hospitals.</p><p><b>Conservation funding</b></p><p>A recently introduced House bill would require county commissions to approve conservation easements, increasing government involvement and limiting private property rights.</p><p>Rahjes said lawmakers, in broader terms, are "getting out of their lanes" with proposed bills. He emphasized that decisions are best left to local officials who are closest to the people.</p><p>"Me living in Agra should not tell Wichita County what they should do with their kids. Johnson County shouldn't tell Hays how much water they should use, and Hays shouldn't tell Johnson County how green their yard should be," he said.</p><p>Rahjes said it is unlikely to advance.</p><p><b>Dedicated state conservation fund</b></p><p>Kansas is one of about 15 states without a dedicated conservation fund. The panel was asked whether they would support creating one to help producers, provided it did not involve new taxes.</p><p>"The biggest problem that I see as a rural legislator is trying to educate Johnson County and Wichita to understand that our lives are completely different," Wasinger said.</p><p>Rahjes said a $17 million conservation package was recently approved, and $1.7 million in funding for local conservation districts was restored.</p><p>"If we don't have good conservation, which goes into water, then we're just dust. We can argue about everything in the world, but without water, we don't survive," Rahjes said.</p><p><b>Artificial intelligence</b></p><p>Billinger said Kansas can expect many AI data centers, raising several concerns.</p><p>"The biggest issue right now is they use a lot of water, way more than electricity," he said. "We were at a conference a couple of months ago, and it was said we need to double the amount of electricity we have today in the next five years."</p><p>Rahjes said lawmakers are aware of concerns around AI generating fake images, voices and advertisements, specifically how it could be used in campaigns to mislead voters.</p><p>"I don't see AI voting. You still have to vote in person," Rahjes said. "With AI, we're just in the beginning of all this. Think back when social media started. Who would have thought we are where we are today?"</p><p>Wasinger noted the legislature passed a bill last year creating penalties for certain AI abuses, such as altering images of children.</p><p><b>College athletics revenue-sharing&nbsp;</b></p><p>Recently, the University of Kansas, Wichita State University and Kansas state representatives have asked legislators to allocate more tax dollars to help cover an estimated $20.5 million in direct athlete revenue-sharing payments tied to name, image and likeness (NIL).</p><p>Billinger and Wasinger said they would not support this.</p><p>"My suggestion is to look at how much they have in unencumbered funds and in their foundation funds. There are billions of dollars in there. Use that money," Wasinger said.</p><p>Rahjes said he also does not support the proposal but is developing a voluntary alternative that would allow taxpayers to contribute to NIL efforts through their state income tax returns.</p><h2>Rebecca Swender&nbsp;</h2><p><b>45Z tax credit and benefiting local farmers</b></p><p>Swender said although many clean energy tax credits were eliminated in last year’s federal tax legislation, the 45Z tax credit remained in place.</p><p>Swender said the 45Z credit is a biofuels tax incentive that directly benefits Kansas farmers, and ethanol and biodiesel plants. She credited Marshall’s advocacy with preserving it.<br></p><p>"It makes sure that all the ethanol is produced from 100% American grown feedstocks. We can't import used cooking oil from China and make that into ethanol. It has to be American-sourced fuel," Swender said.</p><p><b>340B funding for HaysMed</b></p><p>When asked about progress on 340B funding for HaysMed, Swender said the hospital does not qualify under the program because it is not considered a critical-access hospital.</p><p>340B is a medication discount program.</p><p>"There's a lot of hope that 340B can be revisited. There are a lot of bad actors within the program, and there are a lot of dollars going where they're not intended to go," Swender said. "Until we can [fix that], I don't know if they will open it up to new employers."</p><p><b>Tariff relief</b></p><p>Swender said tariffs are “tricky,” and Marshall continues to support President Donald Trump’s tariff policy as a long-term strategy.</p><p>She said while relief through appropriations may be easier, the purpose is to create leverage to renegotiate better trade deals.</p><p><b>Credit Card Compensation Act</b></p><p>Swender said Marshal supports the act as it is a major policy fight in Washington between big banks and Main Street businesses.</p><p>The bill aims to reduce credit card "swipe" fees by requiring credit cards from banks with more than $100 billion in assets offer at least two network options—one of which cannot be Visa or Mastercard.</p><p>She said the bill aims to reduce high credit card processing fees and lower costs for consumers and small businesses.</p><p><b>ICE in communities</b></p><p>Swender was asked about what steps are being taken to protect communities from ICE. She said that ICE is here to protect Americans and that Marshall intends to have ICE work alongside local law enforcement.</p><p>The final two Legislative Coffees are set for 8:30 a.m. on Feb. 28 and March 28 at the Hays Public Library, 1205 Main St.</p>